A false-positive hepatobiliary scan: case report and literature review

This case report describes a false-positive hepatobiliary scan in a young woman suspected to have acute cholecystitis who apparently had none of the reasons stated in the literature for a false-positive scan. The literature review shows that the negative predictive value of hepatobiliary scanning for acute cholecystitis is nearly 100 percent, while the positive predictive value is also quite good if conditions known to cause false-positive scans are ruled out. Common causes of positive hepatobiliary scanning, other than acalculus cholecystitis, include chronic cholecystitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis, alcoholism, total parenteral nutrition, pancreatitis, prolonged fasting, and ingestion of food less than one hour prior to scanning. Whether the postpartum state affects the accuracy of hepatobiliary scanning is speculative.